Fresno State football team is No. 17 in BCS; Boise State is 37th

Fresno State is No. 17 in the initial Bowl Championship Series standings of 2013 — giving the Mountain West a chance to place a team in a big-money bowl.

Northern Illinois of the Mid-American Conference is the Bulldogs’ top competitor for a BCS spot. The Huskies are No. 18. Northern Illinois is much stronger in the computers right now — ranging from No. 5 to No. 19. Fresno State is No. 14 at best and not ranked in the top 25 in two of them.

Importantly, Fresno State is ranked higher than any team in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs need to reach the top 12 for an automatic berth but only the top 16 if they’re ranked ahead of a BCS-conference champion. The AAC has Louisville at No. 20 and UCF at No. 23.

In the expanded BCS standings at CBSSports.com, Boise State is No. 37. The Broncos’ computer average is 46.75. BYU is No. 36 and Washington is No. 38.

The Mountain West’s third-highest-ranked team is UNLV at No. 74.

Boise State plays at BYU on Friday.

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Fresno State rose two spots to No. 15 in The Associated Press Top 25 and one spot to No. 18 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. They are ahead of Northern Illinois in both. Northern Illinois is No. 23 in AP and No. 22 in USA Today.

Boise State did not receive any points in AP voting. The Broncos got one point in the USA Today poll.

In the Harris poll, Fresno State is No. 18. Boise State received one point.

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 19, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

The USA Today Top 25 football coaches poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 19, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, and previous ranking:

The Top 25 teams in the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 19, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking: